"Ha!" muttered the king, and his bold face fell, "comes the earl's
revenge so soon?"

"And," continued Ratcliffe, "I overheard Sir Marmaduke say, 'The door
of the Garden Tower is unguarded,--wait the signal!' Fly, my liege!
Hark! even now I hear the rattling of arms!"

The king stole to the casement; the day was closing; the foliage grew
thick and dark around the wall; he saw an armed man emerge from the
shade,--a second, and a third.

"You are right, Ratcliffe! Flight--but how?"

"This way, my liege. By the passage I entered, a stair winds to a
door on the inner court; there I have already a steed in waiting.
Deign, for precaution, to use my hat and manteline."

The king hastily adopted the suggestion, followed the noiseless steps
of Ratcliffe, gained the door, sprang upon his steed, and dashing
right through a crowd assembled by the gate, galloped alone and fast,
untracked by human enemy, but goaded by the foe that mounts the
rider's steed, over field, over fell, over dyke, through hedge, and in
the dead of night reined in at last before the royal towers of
Windsor.




CHAPTER II.